


chasing all those stars

by lacecat (orphan_account)



Series: University of Setauket Series [2]
Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Flashbacks, Fluff, Getting Together, Multi, here you go, so if you need a questionably crafted ficlet that is more of a hug than a piece of art, this is all very cheesy bc i've decided that at least something should be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-27 21:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8416603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/lacecat
Summary: The next morning,  they remember how they got there.





	1. Anna&Mary

The day after Halloween, Mary wakes up pleasantly sore, with a warm body pressed up against her.

 

Anna, it seems, is an affectionate sleeper, and her head is buried in the soft part of Mary’s neck, her arms wrapped underneath her body, and her leg is thrown over Mary’s waist. She mumbles something incoherent when Mary turns (so that Mary can study the dark, relaxed line of her brow, the light blush on the tops of her cheeks, the way that beauty marks pepper down her shoulders and arms) before snuggling more into her body. 

 

She takes a moment to let it sink in, that she isn’t dreaming, that the woman she loves is here in her bed, and that she loves her back. Mary smiles at that, and as if she can sense it, Anna’s eyes flutter awake, dark eyes focusing immediately on her face. 

 

“Now that’s a sight that I’d like to see every morning,” Anna says, and Mary gives a soft laugh. 

 

“Did you sleep well?” she asks. Anna untangles her limbs from around the other woman, and sits up to stretch. 

 

“I did. Although you definitely helped with that,” she replies, and Mary can’t help but to blush a bit at the flirty tone, her eyes drawn to the smooth lines of Anna’s naked torso, the faint red marks from where Mary kissed her way down last night. 

 

She looks down then, biting her lip. “You don’t regret this, do you?” Mary asks. “I understand if it was a lot, if the moment took you by surprise last night-”

 

“Mary, I meant every word. I’m in love with you,” Anna says firmly, reaching to clasp her hand. “I want to take you on dates, spend all my time with you, have you in my bed every night. Do you regret it?”

 

“No!” Mary exclaims. “No. Definitely not, I mean, it’s _you_ ,” and Anna laughs, and Mary falls even more in love, if that was even possible. 

 

“How about I show you exactly how much I love you,” Anna says then with a wicked grin, leaning in to press a quick kiss against Mary’s jaw, then her neck, “and then we get some breakfast from the diner in town, then maybe I’ll make it very clear that I have absolutely no regrets in this-” and her hands creeps under the sheet. 

 

Mary makes a surprised sound, then moans. “Yeah, that sounds good-” she says breathlessly, as Anna runs her long fingers along the inside of her thigh, and they fall back into the warm sheets, into each other.

 

 

••••

 

They’re not out of Anna’s dorm room for another few hours, and by then, it’s well past noon. Mary borrows some of Anna’s clothing, a long sleeve dark blue henley and jeans, and once she puts them on, it nearly delays them again, as Anna has to press kisses into her neck against the door of the room for several minutes.

 

Eventually they leave. The campus is relatively quiet, as most of the students are likely sleeping off last night’s Halloween celebrations.

 

Mary holds Anna’s hand all the way into the small town that borders the university, their arms swinging between them. She holds the door open when they reach the diner, and they both sit down in one of the red booths. They’ve been here countless times, but now they’re together in this new way, and it’s thrilling when Anna is sure to hold her hand on top of the table.

 

The waitress hands them their menus and pours them coffee, and Anna catches Mary looking at her as she’s reading the menu. “What is it?” 

 

“I just remembered that we met in here. It was during the last week of classes before spring break,” Mary says, nodding towards one of the tables on the opposite side of the nearly-empty diner. 

 

Anna follows her gaze, eyebrows raised. “Really?”

 

“I mean, it wasn’t... great, but we did meet, back when you were working here.” Mary says, as the waitress comes back to take their orders. 

 

 

 

•••

 

 

 

_Mary slammed her books down on the table, causing Abe to jump. “I thought you were working today!”_

 

_Abe looks guilty, as he’s nursing a coffee and wearing sunglasses, obviously hungover, and clearly not in work as he claimed. “I called off. Caleb was visiting me last night, so we went out to some of the bars, and uh, I made the mistake of keeping up on the drinks with him.”_

 

_“You could have told me,” Mary says, frowning._

 

_“I didn’t want to worry you. Besides, it would’ve been hard to explain.”_

 

_Mary gives him an unimpressed look, sitting down from across her boyfriend. “Right. So what was Caleb doing here?”_

 

_“I dunno. I tried to ask him, but he was more in the mood to drink last night. Guess he and Ben had some sort of argument the other day.”_

 

_Mary had only met Ben Tallmadge, another one of Abe’s childhood friends, once or twice before, as he was usually too busy at Yale to come down to one of Abe’s parties. “Did you ask him about it?”_

 

_Abe squints at her. “Why are you asking me this?”_

_  
Mary feels a flush coming to her cheeks, trying to keep calm. They’ve been dating for some time, but sometimes, Abe can just be so defensive. “I was just wondering. What are you doing here, anyways?”_

 

_Abe starts to answer, but then a voice interrupts him. “Abe! Is this your girlfriend?”_

 

_“Yeah, this is Mary,” Abe says, eyes flitting up to look at the waitress who has stopped by their table. “Mary, this is my friend Anna. She’s also a student at Setauket, I’ve known her since we were kids.”_

 

_Mary looks up then at the other woman, and is struck by her dark, round eyes for a moment. “Nice to meet you,” she says, quick to recover, and smiles. “Anna.”_

 

_Anna nods, giving a quick smile in return, then looks down at Abe. “You were out with Caleb, weren’t you?”_

 

_“Yeah, he was going hard last night,” Abe jokes, and something stirs in Mary’s stomach at the easy way he grins up at Anna. “He’s crashed back at my place right now.”_

 

_Anna laughs, a rich, low sound, and her dark, glossy hair seems to shimmer with the movement. “I’ll stop by after my shift to see him. It was nice to meet you, Mary,” she says, and leaves their table._

 

_Mary watches her go for a second, but then she can see how Abe’s eyes also follow her. She doesn’t know what to do but to push the intrusive thought away, as she breathes in, and asks Abe about his pre-law meeting._

 

_It doesn’t come as much of a surprise when, several weeks later, Abe breaks up with her, but it still stings when he says it’s not her, but it’s because he likes Anna, has liked her for a long time._

 

_She sees the two of them together at one of the end of semester parties. Anna’s eyes fall on her, and she seems surprised to see her there. Mary’s eyes begin to sting, and she turns away before either of them can say anything._

 

_She makes it to the bathroom before letting out a sob, clutching the sides of the sink. She didn’t think it would hurt to see Abe out like this, but it seems as though she didn’t quite account for reality. A drunk girl pats her on the back before leaving her alone in the dirty bathroom._

 

_Mary wipes her eyes as the door opens, and she looks up in the mirror to meet dark eyes. “Mary, I’m sorry,” Anna says, hesitant, and Mary turns around._

  
  
_“You don’t need to apologize,” she grits out. “I don’t need your pity.”_

 

_“I know that, but I just wanted to tell you that nothing happened between us when you two were dating-” Anna starts, but Mary stands up to her full height, even though she’s still shorter than her, and pushes by Anna to exit, not wanting to hear any excuses._

 

_The other woman watches her go, and sighs, feeling suddenly heavy._

 

 

 

•••

 

 

 

Anna winces. “Jesus. I’ve said it before, but I’m so sorry about that.”

 

Mary gives a shrug. “It’s all right. I’m long over it,” she says, squeezing Anna’s hand.“Abe and I weren’t meant to be. And I got you in the end.” 

 

She takes a sip of coffee, as Anna looks thoughtfully at the table again. “We should talk about something else. I don’t want to talk about Abe on our first date.”

 

“First date?” Anna says teasingly, looking back at her. “We’ve gone out to breakfast before.”

 

“But not as girlfriends,” Mary adds, and Anna’s smile is blinding. 

 

She squeezes Mary’s hand again. “You’re absolutely right.”

 

Their food arrives, along with another serving of coffee, forcing them to let go of their hands. Anna has a stack of pancakes with strawberries, while Mary’s opted for a omelette with spinach and mushrooms. 

 

She steals one of Anna’s strawberries off her plate, while the dark haired woman helps herself to Mary’s toast. “You know,” Anna says, chewing a bite of toast, “I do remember when I knew I loved you.” 

 

Mary’s lips quirk. “What, really, the _very first day_?” she says, echoing Anna’s words from last night. 

“Well, maybe not technically the first day,” Anna amends with a huff. “But from the start, when we really started to know each other? Yeah.”

 

•••

 

_Mary hurries into the lecture hall for her English literature class, unbuttoning her jacket as she walks down the steps. As a junior, she thought she would avoid the back to back classes, but her schedule this semester was crazy._

 

_She looks around for an empty seat, but it seems moot at this point. Most of the chairs in the small room are full, until she spies an empty one across the hall._

 

_Only the seat right next to it contains a familiar profile, and Mary realizes as she gets closer that she’s about to sit next to Anna Strong._

 

_She swallows as she sets her bag down, and Anna turns, only to look at her in surprise. “Mary?”  
_

_Mary nods quickly. “I can sit here, right?” she asks in a clipped tone, and Anna nods. Mary sits down, and Anna looks like she’s about to say something else, when the professor walks in._

 

_It’s the first class, so the professor lets them out early after discussing the syllabus. Mary gathers her jacket, but Anna’s voice interrupts her thoughts. “What’s your major?” she asks, also putting on her jacket._

 

_Mary looks at her, slightly surprised, but decides to be civil. “I was pre-med, but I’m about to declare for psychology,” she says. “What about you?”_

 

_Anna nods, standing up to unhook her bag. “Journalism. Are you taking this class for a requirement?”_

 

_Mary bristles a bit, even though there really is no reason to. “What, like I can’t be interested in Romantic literature?” she snaps._

_  
Anna’s eyebrows shoot up. “Are you?” she counters. The room around them is empty as the last few students leave, and Mary is suddenly aware of the tension between them._

 

_Mary stares at her, but then lets out a sigh. “No. I’m short a credit,” she admits, and is surprised when Anna gives a chuckle. “What?”_

 

_“Nothing. You know, I’m pretty handy at lit classes, if you ever want to go over the readings together,” she offers, and Mary recognizes the olive branch being handed to her._

 

_Mary narrows her eyes, still. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You and Abe-”_

_“There is no me and Abe,” Anna says, her eyes steady on Mary’s. “I’m sorry about that- not that Abe and I didn’t work out, I mean, but what that must have been like for you.” She slings her bag over her shoulder, and turns to leave._

 

_Mary lets her get halfway across the room before she makes up her mind. “Are we really going to have to read Byron?” she asks, and Anna’s back stiffens for a second._

 

_She turns to face Mary, faint surprise on her face as she looks at her. “She walks in beauty, like the night/Of cloudless climes and starry skies,” Anna quotes, the words smooth off her tongue, as she continues to look at Mary like she can’t quite place her. “Of course we’re going to read Lord Byron.”_

_  
“Well, I might need some help on that, old poetry gets confusing,” Mary says with only a little bite to it, and Anna’s face breaks out in a broad smile._

 

_“Let me give you my number.”_

 

 

 •••

 

 

 “Are you telling me that my hatred for Byron gave you the hots for me?” Mary says, incredulous, as Anna swallows another bite of pancake. 

 

“Oh come on, you don’t hate Byron,” Anna says with a grin. “And I knew in that moment that I was going to love you. I mean, you were so adorable.”

 

Mary huffs but smiles, watching as Anna finished her food. “I’m glad you gave me your number then,” she says. 

 

“I’m glad you went and took that lit class with me!”

  

 

•••

 

 

_“-with curses cast them down upon the dust/And gnash'd their teeth and howl'd: the wild birds shriek'd-” Mary closes the book with a sigh. “I don’t understand how you can love this.”_

 

_“I mean, that line there is a Biblical allusion, which is interesting given Byron’s personal philosophy on- oh, come on, you have to admit it’s well-crafted,” Anna says. They’re both perched on Mary’s bed, her roommate gone for the time being so that they could study in peace._

 

_“I guess I can see how people might like it, but all of the poetry we’ve read so far in this class, I can’t say I’ve liked any of it,” Mary complains._

 

_They’ve grown to be friends in the past several weeks, despite their shared ex history. Anna is quick-tongued and honest, but still so likable, and for some reason, she doesn’t mind Mary’s occasional bursts of passive aggressiveness, even laughs at Mary’s wry sense of humor. She’s surprisingly easy to hang out with, and when Mary confided things from when she was dating Abe, Anna had even countered with her own complaints about him._

 

_“None of it? All right, how about Keats?” Anna counters._

 

_“We haven’t read any Keats,” Mary replies, swinging her legs down the side of her bed._

 

_“And now at once, adventuresome, I send/My herald thought into a wilderness: There let its trumpet blow, and quickly dress/My uncertain path with green, that I may speed/Easily onward, thorough flowers and weed,” Anna quotes._

 

_Mary swallows, as Anna’s eyes bore into her own, and she breaks eye contact so that the woman doesn’t see her blush._

 

_“Do you seriously just memorize poetry in your spare time?” she demands to break the tension, and Anna gives a soft laugh._

 

_“Only for you,” Anna says, and Mary’s heart leaps a bit, before she forces it to still with a a laugh._

 

_“All right, so what does Byron mean?”_

 

_•••_

 

“Oh my God, you did memorize poetry for me,” Mary says with a sudden burst of clarity, and color flushes Anna’s cheeks.

 

“Well, when you have a pretty girl looking at you with those gorgeous eyes, you have to pull out all stops,” Anna says, still smooth, and Mary blushes as well. 

 

“Well, it definitely worked,” she says, reaching across the table to rub her thumb over the back of Anna’s hand. 

 

“I’ll have to memorize dirty poetry for you sometime,” Anna teases, just to watch Mary’s blush darken. 

 

“We’re leaving,” Mary declares putting cash down on the table and pulling Anna by the hand. 

 

She pulls her outside, into the sunlight, and as the sunlight illuminates Anna’s hair, making the brown glow dark red, Mary stops and takes her in with a soft look. 

 

Anna catches her looking, and brings her in for a quick kiss, both their eyes fluttering shut for a moment. 

 

“Let’s go,” Anna says, her lips close to Mary’s, and slips her hand into hers.

 

“Let’s,” Mary agrees, and they walk down the street, Mary’s heart buoyant in her chest.

 

 

•••

 

 

 


	2. Caleb&Ben

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now onto the ben/caleb!  
> upcoming: robert/abe. then another ficlet with all three pairings :)

•••

 

They don’t even make it to the car before Caleb has Ben pressed up against the window of the passenger’s side, his mouth working its way down his neck and jaw. “You-” he gets out, before kissing Ben furiously again.

 

Ben reacts with enthusiasm, his hands finding their way into Caleb’s dark hair. The car door handle is digging into the small of his back, but he can’t bring himself to care.

 

A few drunk partygoers start hooting and whistling from where they are making out, in the very public location, and the rational, slightly embarrassed part of Ben’s brain eventually makes him break away. 

 

“Shit. Can you drive?” he asks, a bit out of breath. Caleb’s eyes are still fixed on his mouth.

 

“What?” Caleb says. “Oh. Yeah, yeah, let’s go-” He presses another kiss to the corner of Ben’s mouth, before digging in his pocket for the keys, and they reluctantly separate so that they can both get into the car.

 

About two minutes after they merge onto the highway, Ben’s hand finds it way along Caleb’s inseam, high enough on his thigh to be indecent, and he teases small circles on the inside of his thigh with his thumb. Caleb makes a desperate sound, but Ben’s hand doesn’t move any higher up, just resuming their maddeningly light touch.

 

“You tease,” Caleb grits out, and Ben laughs, enjoying the way that Caleb’s ears are going pink, as he hits the gas pedal.

 

Caleb’s apartment is about an hour from Setauket, but they make it in under forty minutes. As soon as they’re inside the apartment, Ben’s hands go to Caleb’s hips, and then they’re passionately kissing again. Caleb leads him inside his bedroom, finally getting his hands under Ben’s _ridiculously tight_ shirt, until they’re both half naked, and then Ben drags him down on the bed on top of him by his belt loops.

 

•••

 

_“I’m going to Yale!” Ben declares as soon as he opens the door and sees Caleb standing there._

 

_Ben’s only in his sophomore year of high school, so Caleb blinks at him for a moment, as Ben beams. “Heya, good for you, Benny! Can I come in?”_

 

_Ben opens the door to the Tallmadges’ house more, letting Caleb step off the front porch. “Yeah, sorry!”_

_  
“Who is it?” Nathaniel Tallmadge’s voice carries from the back room._

 

_“It’s Caleb!” Ben replies to his father, turning his head back._

 

_“Hey, Caleb. Sam will be back soon, he’s just gone out to the store for me,” Mr. Tallmadge says._

 

_Sam and Caleb were both in their junior year, and they were the ones who were friends at first, but then Caleb and Ben got on like a house on fire, much to Sam’s joint amusement and annoyance. As much as Caleb liked Sam, he had an especially close friendship with Ben, one that Sam teased him much about._

 

_“Thank you!” Caleb calls out, before turning back to Ben. “Yale?”_

 

_“I just met with the college counselor to discuss my application. He thinks if I stick with baseball and debate, take these courses, get good references from my teachers, I’ll have a good shot,” Ben continues, picking up a packet of papers to show Caleb. “A good shot! At Yale!”_

 

_“I think you’ve got a good shot anywhere,” Caleb says, watching amusedly when Ben paces around the room. “Why there, though?”_

 

_“Their faculty is amazing, plus they’ve got a great political science department,” Ben enthuses. “And it’s near the water, so you’d like that-”_

 

_“Hold on,” Caleb interrupts, “What’s this about me?”_

 

_Ben stops. “Well, you could apply next year, right?” He goes a bit pink. “Sorry. You don’t have to go to Yale if you don’t want to. University of Setauket is a great school, or really anywhere you decide to go, I just thought we’d end up at close places, and maybe you could apply there-”_

 

_“I don’t think I’m gonna go to college, period,” Caleb says, and Ben’s eyes go wide._

 

_“What- Caleb! What do you mean?”_

 

_“It’s kind of stuffy, you know? And I’m not too keen on school anyways, plus I’m almost ready to get my GED-”  
_

_“Caleb, you’ve got top grades in your class, you’re brilliant-”_

 

_“But I don’t want to,” he continues like Ben hasn’t spoken. “Plus, it’s a lot of money.”_

 

_Ben looks down, putting back the papers on the sideboard and toeing the edge of the carpet. “Yeah. It is. I don’t know how I could even afford Yale. Guess it was stupid.” He looks so crestfallen, and Caleb feels like he’s kicked a puppy._

 

_He lightly shoves Ben’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t you worry, we’ll get you to Yale, even if me and Sam have to sell a kidney or four,” he jokes, smiling when Ben meets his eyes.“Don’t you worry, Benny boy.”_

 

_Ben looks ready to say something else, when Sam walks in from behind Caleb. “Oh, hey, Caleb,” Sam says. “Ready to go over that physics homework? One of the problem sets was giving me such a tough time.”_

 

_Ben ducks away then, likely to talk to his father. “I’ll leave you guys to it,” he says, picking up his papers again. Sam raises an eyebrow, but when Caleb doesn’t say anything, he leads Caleb up the stairs to his and Ben’s shared bedroom._

 

_“Ben’s told you about Yale, then?” Sam asks._

 

_Caleb laughs. “Yeah, he did. They’d be real lucky to have him.”_

 

_Sam turns around at those words, a peculiar expression on his face, almost suspicion._

 

_“What?” Caleb asks._

 

_“Do you-” Sam cuts himself off, and grimaces. The expressions are so strange, Caleb barks out a laugh. “What?”_

 

_“Nothing. Here, let’s work on these sets,” Sam says instead, and Caleb follows suit._

 

 

•••

 

 

Caleb rolls off from on top of Ben, panting, and Ben lays an arm over his eyes, the sweat making his arm stick a bit. They lie beside each other for a moment, catching their breath.

 

“God,” Ben breathes out, his muscles feeling like they’ve been liquified, and Caleb gives a hoarse laugh in response, flexing his legs from on top of the rumpled sheets.

 

“You can still call me Caleb,” he says, and Ben can’t even muster the energy to swat him in the arm. “Damn, Tallmadge. That was something else.”

 

“That was...” Ben tries to speak, but his mind is wonderfully loose in a post-orgasmic haze, and he gives up on eloquence, lowering his arm. “Great. I mean, wow.”

 

“Just great?” Caleb says teasingly, turning his head to kiss Ben’s shoulder. “You’re such a sweet talker in bed.” His arm finds its way across Ben’s torso, and Ben leans into his touch.

 

Ben huffs out a laugh, his eyes already beginning to slip closed. “Shower. Should shower.” He attempts to move, but he’s so comfortable pressed up against Caleb, and his vision is getting darker.

 

Caleb’s feet find their way in between Ben’s calves. “Sure,” he replies.

 

“Mmm,” Ben manages once more, only vaguely aware of Caleb pulling a sheet over both of their bodies, before he falls asleep.

 

 

•••

 

 

_Caleb and Sam graduate in the spring. Ben cheers for both of them, he, his father, Caleb’s parents, and Caleb’s uncle all crammed together in the plastic seats of the auditorium. He takes a picture of Sam and Caleb after they’ve thrown their caps in the air, his two favorite people in this world, and saves it as the wallpaper on his phone._

 

_Sam goes off to the University of Setauket, but Caleb stays around town. His decision not to go to college certainly keeps his parents awake at night, but he tells Ben that he is happy where he is._

 

_Caleb gets a job working at a mechanic, then at a loading dock, and then at a charter company. The work is tough, and it keeps him busy, but he makes time to hang out with Ben, driving him to baseball games and taking his mind off impending college applications. On the other hand, Ben is the one who makes sure Caleb remembers to sleep, doesn’t work himself to the bone, and sometimes brings him dinner if he’s working a late shift._

 

_If Caleb is honest with himself, Ben is one of the major reasons he’s chosen to stay in their hometown. He doesn’t quite know what he’s going to do when Ben leaves for Yale._

 

_During Sam’s second year in college, he finally breaks down to let Ben go to one of the college parties.Ben’s is in his last year of high school, and while Caleb has crashed in Sam’s dorm several times, Sam has yet to let Ben go out with them._

 

_It’s a standard frat party, and while Sam is keeping an eagle eye on Ben’s beer count, they’re having fun. That is, until Caleb makes a mistake._

 

_In the last two years of high school, Ben has grown to be taller than both Sam and Caleb. Baseball has meant that his lanky limbs have turned into solid, lean muscle, and now his slightly too-long hair is in style, and he looks good._

 

_The realization strikes Caleb like a train. Ben’s dancing with some of Sam’s friends, his shirt riding up a bit in the front, and Caleb can’t help but stare, surprised at his own reaction, and confused on what it means._

 

_Ben smiles at him then, and Caleb’s heart lurches. He takes a step forward, but then stops. Ben looks confused for a moment, but then turns again as one of Sam’s friends tap him on the shoulder._

 

_Then Caleb happens to glance at Sam, and Sam is staring right at him with a hard look in his eyes._

 

_Caleb opens his mouth, as if he could defend anything, but Sam is suddenly right there next to him, with an iron-clad grip on his wrist._

 

_“Outside, now,” he hisses into Caleb’s ear, and Caleb pales._

 

_They make it about ten steps outside before Caleb tries to say something. “I wasn’t-” he begins, but then Sam hauls back and punches him in the face._

 

_“That’s Ben,” Sam shouts, as Caleb’s hands fly up to his bleeding lip. “He’s my brother, he’s a fucking kid,_ you don’t get to do that to him _-”_

 

_He makes another move, as if to hit Caleb again, but then Caleb pushes him back. “Stop!” he barks. “I’m not- I’m not going to do anything with him. Christ, who do you think I am?”_

 

_Sam doesn’t look any less furious,but he doesn’t hit Caleb again. “I saw how you were looking at him. I’m telling you, don’t try it. He- you don’t get to play with him.”  
_

_“I would never,” Caleb snaps, and that strange feeling is back in his chest. “Sam, come on, I would never. I care about him,” and something must show in his face at that, because Sam does a double-take._

 

_“Jesus,” he says, and it’s not in a good tone. “Just promise me you won’t, all right?”_

 

_“I won’t,” Caleb says._

 

_Later, they explain Caleb’s split lip as a run-in with a particularly nasty frat pledge. Ben makes a sympathetic noise, but Caleb doesn’t let him touch his face, as he meets Sam’s eyes in the rear view window._

 

_Ben gets into Yale. The Tallmadges and Caleb cheer loudest at his graduation._

 

_Sam goes back to college, and Caleb tries to forget the entire night. After that, Sam and Caleb’s relationship is strained for a while, but when Caleb makes no move on Ben, Sam relaxes more when the three of them hang out._

 

_It’s never the same though._

 

 

_•••_

 

 

Ben wakes up to the sun coming through the windows. He’s unsure where he is at first, but then hears faint snoring that he can clearly identify as Caleb’s, and he turns around in the bed.

 

Caleb is lying on his back, his head pillowed on Ben’s arm. It’s an adorable sight, but Ben winces, his arm tingling uncomfortably where it’s fallen asleep, and he tries to flex the muscle.

 

The movement does wake up Caleb, however, and he blinks his dark eyes sleepily at Ben. “Morning,” he says in a quiet voice, looking right at Ben.

 

“Hey,” Ben answers. The previous night floods back to him, and he swallows. “Listen, I-”

 

“I don’t regret it,” Caleb blurts out, and Ben’s mouth is still open. “You might, I don’t know, but I think you’re it for me. I hope that doesn’t scare you away.” He looks genuinely concerned, as if Ben will bolt out of his bed at this hour.

 

Ben realizes his jaw is hanging open, while Caleb looks at him uneasily. “That was a lot, I know. Shit. Ben, are you-”

 

“I love you,” Ben says, and now it’s Caleb turn to look surprised. “Since high school graduation, maybe before. Caleb-” and he rushes forward to kiss him then, morning breath be damned.

 

Caleb is still for a moment, before groaning into Ben’s mouth. “I love you,” he says between kisses. “I love you.”

 

 

•••

 

 

_Caleb knows he’s in love with Ben. He thought it was just attraction, simple human lust, but then he realizes that it runs deeper than that. He tries to lose himself in one night stands, even tries dating, but it all seems to fall apart eventually, and he’s resigned himself to a life of pining._

 

_He has no one to turn to to talk about it, so he makes the decision to tell Sam, when they’re hanging out once, Ben too busy with school to visit Sam that weekend._

 

_It’s been several months since that night at the party, and both he and Sam are well on their way to being drunk when he lets it slip._

 

_“I’m in love with your brother,” Caleb tells him bluntly._

 

_Sam swallows the sip of beer, studies Caleb, but makes no attempt to attack him, so Caleb counts it a success. “You are?” he asks, but it doesn’t feel as much of a question._

 

_“Yeah,” Caleb says. “I’m not- I’m not going to do anything, though. He doesn’t need that.”_

 

_Sam continues to study him, enough so that Caleb feels testy. “Listen,” Caleb continues, sharply, “You don’t need to worry about his virtue, or some shit like that. He’s his own person, you know. But he’s going to do things, like you, and I’m- well, I’m not. But he’s special, and I’m not going to let my feelings change anything.”_

 

_Sam doesn’t say anything for a while, and Caleb worries that he’s gone too far, that this is the final straw. But then Sam clinks his bottle against Caleb’s, and says, “You’re an idiot.”_

 

_And Caleb figures that’s as close as forgiveness that he’s going to get, more likely than, “it’s-okay-that-you-have-impure-thoughts-about-my-baby-brother”. He takes it, and then they really don’t talk about it ever again._

 

_They don’t, because two months after Ben graduates, Sam is killed in a car accident._

 

_As soon as Caleb hears the news, he rushes to the Tallmadge’s house. Nathaniel lets him in without a word, and Caleb rushes up the stairs to Ben’s room._

 

_Ben is sitting on the bed, not moving. Caleb approaches him carefully, doesn’t know what to say, but when he lays a hand on him, he realizes that Ben is shaking all over, his face white and drawn._

 

_They don’t speak, but Caleb holds him to his chest, and just lets Ben cry into his shirt._

 

_He starts looking for jobs near New Haven the next morning._

 

 

•••

 

 

Eventually they get up, as Caleb’s stomach begins to rumble, and Ben forces him to get up and get them coffee. Opening one of Caleb’s drawers, he realizes that several of his shirts are already there, and it makes him smile.

 

Caleb is in front of the fridge, scratching his bare stomach. There are bruises running down his neck that Ben remembers leaving last night, and he watches as the shorter man takes out a carton of eggs, the coffee pot already running in the corner.

 

“There’s no toast, but I can make some scrambled eggs,” Caleb offers, and Ben decides to move so that he can wrap his arms around Caleb’s waist.

 

“That’s fine,” he says into Caleb’s hair, and the other man relaxes into his arms.

 

“This is good,” he says. “Right?”

 

“Yeah,” Ben says, “It really is.”

 

They stay like that for a while, before Caleb pushes him away with a laugh.  


 

“Eggs, then round two,” he says, and Ben leans against the counter with a grin to watch him cook.

 

 

•••

 

 

_Caleb finds out that it’s almost too easy to hide his feelings for Ben in the wake of Sam’s death. The stakes are too high to risk losing Ben’s friendship, and he’s afraid of making Ben turn away from him, be disgusted by him._

 

_Ben goes to Yale, and Caleb follows. He finds an apartment half an hour away from campus, and works on a local charter doing fishing tours._

 

_Ben comes out to him a few weeks into his first semester, telling him about his friend Nathan, whom he tried to date before they realized they were better as friends. Caleb tries not to be jealous of the man, who he’s met once or twice, and takes home a statuesque blonde woman with icy eyes later that night._

 

_Their other friends from home go to University of Setauket, and although Yale is not too far away from the university, it seems world apart. Caleb has a more flexible schedule, and he sometimes visits Abe or Anna when he’s free, when he needs to pretend that his entire world isn’t Ben._

 

_He convinces Ben to attend a Halloween party with him at the University of Setauket. Ben agrees, finally, and they drive down together._

 

 

•••

 

“Do you think Sam would be ok with us?” Ben asks, and Caleb stills from where he’s about to take a sip of coffee.

 

“Why do you ask?” he says, too casually, and Ben shrugs, his eyes a bit distant.

  
“I don’t know.” He glances at Caleb then, his gaze becoming softer. “I think he knew that I liked you back in high school.”

 

“High school, eh?” Caleb says.

 

“Yeah. I never told him though.”

 

“I did.”

 

Now Ben looks surprised.

 

“You did?”

 

“Yeah. He hit me, though. Remember that night, you visited him at that party?”

 

“You- really? I thought it was a frat boy.” He’s not taking it badly, as Caleb feared, so he continues.

 

“Nah. He got better though. I told him,” and Caleb pauses then, then decides to go all out, “That I was in love with you, a few months later. He took it better, then. It must have been weird for him, still.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me? Before last night, I thought you thought I was your little brother,” Ben asks, and Caleb gives a small smile.   
  
“I didn’t want to pressure you into anything. Then- then, after Sam died, I didn’t want to risk whatever stable foundation you had left in me.”

 

Ben reaches out across the table at that, puts his warm hand on Caleb’s. “I’m glad you risked it,” he says softly, and Caleb turns his hand so that he can hold Ben’s hand, his heart feeling light in his chest.

 

Ben continues, “I think he’d be okay with it now. You make me happy, and I know he would’ve wanted that,” and Caleb would tease him for the cheesy lines later, but for now, he keeps a tight hold on Ben’s hand, breaths in and out, on this perfect moment.

 

“That damn game of spin the bottle, though,” Caleb says.

 

Ben huffs out a laugh. “I’m going to remember the face you made for the rest of my life.”

 

•••


	3. Robert&Abe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, this is rounding out the continuation series. I'm coming up with an actual fic w/ plot and all, hopefully to be soon, so that I can get some actual writing in this series. 
> 
> but in the meantime, fluff w/out plot is always fun :) 
> 
> (disclaimer: i'm no legal expert. if you're here to critique my vague references to the academic study of law or w/e, please, let me have my offhand mentions to make this couple have somewhat of a backstory lol)

•••

 

 

“Baby, have I ever told you how lucky- how lucky I am to have you?” Abe slurs, clutching onto Robert’s shoulder as he tries to help Abe up the steps. 

 

“Not enough,” Robert says dryly. “Come on, pick up your feet-”

 

“Ugh, I _can’t_. Oh god. Gonna get sick-” and Abe retches. Robert sighs, slightly thankful nothing is coming up (for now). He resigns himself to a sleepless night of making sure his boyfriend doesn’t make dumb decisions.

 

“You’re lucky,” he mutters, “It would irritate me more if you went and got yourself hurt.”

 

Abe actually stops coughing to beam up at him. 

 

“You care. Baby, I knew you care!”

 

“See if I still help you if you call me baby one more time,” Robert threatens, and they finally reach the door to Abe’s dorm. “This serves you right for trying to keep up with Caleb.”

 

“You just don’t like him because he- he dented your dad’s car last Thanksgiving,” 

 

Robert doesn’t deny it. “Whenever the two of you are together, you turn into a mess.”

 

“Yeah, but we- but we-” and Abe turns to gag again, and Robert pats him on the back not unkindly. 

 

“Come on, I’m getting cold out here,” he says, and they manage to get the door open so that they can get into his room. 

 

Abe slumps onto the small bed after peeling off his shirt. Robert sighs, but it’s a fond sound, and wedges a pillow under Abe’s head before pulling a blanket over him. He goes to sit down, but discovers a lump under him. Reaching down, he pulls out Abe’s fake vampire teeth from earlier. 

 

Robert makes an executive decision to throw the teeth away.

 

 

 

•••

 

 

_Abe rubs his head. The pre-law course he’s taking has certainly taken five years off of his life, the sheer magnitude of reading and written work taking up much of his free time. He groans, his head falling into the textbook he has propped open in front of him. It’s a library book, but he’s been forced to scribble in the margins with the array of highlighters in front of him, in the vain attempt to memorize any of the material._

 

_“Rough night?” A voice says, coming from over his shoulder._

 

_Abe lifts his head, not turning to see the owner of the voice quite yet. “You have no idea,” he grumbles._

 

_“Library closes at midnight,” the voice says again, and when Abe turns around, he sees a brown-haired man walking away, holding a stack of books._

 

_Abe turns back to face his reading, and briefly contemplates how long it would take to die from eating one of his highlighters._

 

_True to the man’s word, at midnight on the dot, he comes back. “You need to leave, sir,” the man says in a firm voice._

 

_Abe looks up at him. He’s moderately attractive, not really Abe’s type, but he leans back in his chair anyways, stretching a bit. He’s trying to date Anna now, sure, but it doesn’t hurt anyone to flirt, right?_

 

_“Why, you coming with me?” he says, with a smirk._

 

_The man frowns more, his eyes boring into Abe’s. “I need to lock the library up. Please leave now.” His eyes flicker down to the scribbles on the page of the book, and Abe suddenly feels the urge to hide the pages from his sight._

 

_After a moment, Abe gives up, and begins to put his books away. “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to extend the hours or something,” he says. “Midnight’s early for a library to close, right?”_

 

_“I’ll be sure to let my boss know,” the man replies in a flat tone, and Abe barely restrains himself from rolling his eyes._

 

_“You a student here?” he asks, zipping his backpack to stuff books into it._

 

_“Perhaps,” the man answers, as if that was a clear fucking answer. “That’s a library book you have there. You need to return that.”_

 

_Abe looks at him, incredulous at this man. “You’re here right now, why don’t you just pick it up?”_

 

_The man just looks at him, then picks up the book from the table. Abe picks up his bag and turns to go. “Have a nice night,” he calls over his shoulder. The man, predictably, doesn’t answer._

 

 

_•••_

 

 

“Oh god,” Abe says, “This is it. I’m going to die.” 

 

“Don’t being dramatic,” Robert replies from where he’s sitting on the edge of the bed. 

He’s just come back from his early morning shift at the library, and so is already dressed for the day, while Abe is still half-naked and in bed, and also hungover. “My father called me this morning. He’d like to know if we want to drive over for dinner tomorrow night.” 

 

“Yeah, yeah, we should do that,” Abe says in a tone that suggests he’s only half thinking about any future plans. He then abruptly says, “Do you think my ex-girlfriends are into each other?” 

 

Robert looks at him. “Anna and Mary?”   


“No, my other ex-girlfriends that you know. Yes, Anna and Mary!”  


“Probably,” Robert says, and there’s a beat of silence where Abe gapes at him. “What?”

 

“I- _definitely?_ I was joking!”  


“You can’t be blind. They were all over each other last night, and I have it on good authority that they’ve been “making eyes at each other”,” he says, the last part with finger quotation marks. “By good authority, I mean Caleb. He seems well-versed in romantic matters.” 

 

Abe just stares at him. “What?”   


“Caleb. Your friend. Who, I might add, is infatuated with your other friend, Benjamin.”

 

Abe sinks back into the pillows, his eyes shut again. “Caleb and Ben?” 

 

“Stop repeating what I say. Come on, the dining hall closes soon, and you owe me coffee.”

 

“I need coffee,” Abe says weakly, and Robert throws a pillow at him.

 

 

•••

 

 

_It’s a bad night for Abraham Woodhull._

 

_Earlier in the day, Anna had met him for coffee, and had promptly broken up with him._

 

_“We’re just not good together, Abraham,” she says steadily, as Abe wracks his brain for why this is happening. “I thought maybe we were just getting used to each other in this way. But you’re just not open with me, and I know I’m not my best self when I’m with you. This is for the better, for both of us.”_

 

_Abe considers arguing, but then realizes that she’s right. Out of bed, they’re at each other’s throats- and not in the good way. “Right,” he says, as if there’s a good response to that._

 

_“I hope we can still be friends,” Anna says._

 

_Now, Abe tears through his bag, then his room, and then his bag again. His notes for the upcoming civics exam are gone, and he needs them if he has any hope of passing this class-_

 

The library. _He suddenly recalls that the notes were tucked away in the back of the textbook he slightly defiled. Grabbing his keys, Abe runs out of his room, across campus to the old library building._

 

_“You!” Abe shouts as he strides into the library, pointing at the brown-haired man behind the front desk. It’s mostly empty, save for the man, and an older man standing next to him. “I had notes in that book you took the other night.”_

 

_The man raises an eyebrow. “You mean the book you defiled?”_

 

_“Yeah!” Abe shouts, before realizing that he was, in fact, in a library. “I mean- that’s not the point! I need those notes back.”_

 

_“Who is this?” The older man says, a bemused look on his face. “Robert?”_

 

_The man- Robert- scowls. “He’s no one.” He reaches behind the desk, and thrusts a set of papers towards Abe, dropping on the counter. “I was going to tell you, but you carelessly left. You should check your books before handing them in.”  
_

_“You took them and thought not to mention it?”_

 

_“You told me to take it,” Robert reminds him. Abe notices a faint vein popping in his temple. “I’ll be back, Father.” He then moves from behind the desk, and disappears into the shelves._

 

_Abe watches him go for a moment, still struggling to check his temple, then remembers he’s not alone. He looks back at the white-haired man. “You’re his father?”_

 

_The man gives a rueful smile. “Samuel Townsend. It’s a pleasure to meet you,-?”_

 

_“Abraham Woodhull,” he says, still staring after Robert. “I actually don’t know your son, but it seems like he’d prefer that.”_

 

_“Oh, I don’t know,” Samuel Townsend says. “He actually complained to me about you the other day, something he’s never done before. Robert’s usually very stoic. It seems you’ve garnered quite a reaction in him, I’ve never seen him so flustered.”_

 

_Flustered? “That’s one way to put it,” Abe mutters, picking up his papers, as the man raises his eyebrows as if in amusement, similar to Robert’s expression from before. It’s obvious now that they’re related. “I should go. Nice to meet you though.”_

 

_“Have a good one,” the man says in return, as Abe leaves._

 

_Back in his dorm, he rifles through the papers, to make sure they’re all there. He is not expecting, however, to see fine handwriting decorating the margins._

 

_Some of them are unhelpful, such as rude comments on the poor quality of Abe’s handwriting, but others are actually corrections or further notes on Abe’s notes. To his surprise, they seem accurate, and even helpful in some cases._

 

_“Robert Townsend,” Abe repeats to himself. The name sounds familiar, but as he reads through Robert’s handwriting more, he can’t remember from where. He starts to study, and to his annoyance (and grudging relief), Robert’s notes actually help him._

 

 

•••

 

 

“What?” Robert snaps, as Abe looks him over and laughs. 

 

“I just noticed, your neck is a mess,” Abe tells him, taking a sip of coffee. 

 

They had ended up missing the dining hall hours, so they had gone to the small cafe on campus and were now walking aimlessly around campus. 

 

Smug bastard. Robert tries to re-wrap his scarf around his neck so that less hickeys are visible, but gives up when it’s clear that there are too many bruises on his neck. “This is entirely your fault.”

 

“I would hope.” 

 

“I’m probably not the only one who looks like this this morning,” Robert adds, taking satisfaction in the way that Abe goes slightly green. 

 

“Ugh, I’m picturing Caleb with hickeys. Or worse, Ben. Sweet, young Ben.” 

 

“What about Mary or Anna?” Robert says, just to be a bit cruel. 

 

“I dated both of them, they’re different,” Abe says. Something in Robert’s expression must have given away the sudden wash of jealousy he feels in his chest, for the other man backtracks rapidly upon glancing over at him. “Well, it’s still weird, but different, you know?”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Robert says, keeping his voice smooth. “I get it.” He walks faster, so that Abe has to quicken his pace too to keep up. 

 

“Why are you- Robert, you do know that I”m entirely over them?” His tone is incredulous, and now Robert is annoyed. 

 

“Yeah, I know,” he says. They’ve had this conversation before. Whether he likes it or not, Mary and Anna are both still somehow close to Abe, and even though he logically knows he has nothing to worry about, it still brings a bad taste to his mouth when Abe references his romantic history. “You don’t need to defend yourself.” 

 

Abe gets around to the front of him then, putting a hand on his chest. “Wait, Robert. I don’t think you know. I really, _really_ like you. I don’t want this to come between us.” 

 

Robert tries to shrug him off, but Abe persists, pushing more firmly on his chest. “I want us to be good,” Abe says. 

 

“I told you, we’re good.” 

 

“I know we argue, that you can be uptight-” Robert rolls his eyes, “ _and_ I’m kind of an ass sometimes, but you’re also special to me.”

 

“I’m glad. Can we keep walking?” 

 

“Not you don’t get it!” Abe actually looks dismayed, and Robert stops his struggle. “I mean not just in the boyfriend way.You’re something else entirely, and I want that. I need you to understand that.” He looks deadly serious now, and Robert swallows. 

 

“Oh,” he then says, when it’s clear that Abe is expecting some sort of answer. 

 

“I think we’re good together, but if we’re not, I want to fix that-” Abe continues, before Robert interrupts him by dragging him into a kiss with his spare hand, when he still can’t find the words to say. 

 

Abe’s mouth tastes like the coffee he was just drinking, and their cups clash together, no doubt spilling coffee on their jackets, but Robert tries to translate all of the words that won’t come out into the kiss. Abe kisses back, at first surprised, but then his mouth slots up against his so that it’s smooth, slower and less rushed. 

 

He breaks away finally, seeing Abe’s eyes open again. “We’re good,” Robert says, soft. “Believe me. You’re the most infuriating man alive, but I trust you, and I care about you. I hope you know that.” 

 

Abe smiles at that, and his eyes are searching as he looks into Robert’s. “Good. That’s good. I want you to be happy, you deserve that.” 

 

They continue to walk, and when Abe takes Robert’s hand, he lets him, even though he’s definitely complained about it being juvenile before.

 

 

•••

 

 

_It starts off normal enough._

 

_When Abe approaches Robert in the library, the other man looks up at him like he’s expecting a fight._

 

_But then, when Abe casually mentions that his notes did in fact help him with his exam, and if he would have any other pointers on the material, that they’d be more than welcome, Robert actually relaxes enough and helps him._

 

_For all of his passive aggressive remarks, Robert is one of the smartest people that Abe has ever met. He has a shrewd way of deciphering the cases and outcomes that Abe studies, and Abe would be jealous of his seemingly innate ability to see both sides of the argument if only he wasn’t so useful._

 

_That one meeting turns into a common occurrence. Abe starts to bring coffee with him when he knows that Robert is working late that night (and he starts to remember Robert’s work schedule, what the fuck). He also discovers that while Robert at first seems to be a neutral, unassuming bystander, he possesses an amazingly dark, wry sense of humor, and an absolutely unnerving ability to see through bluffing._

 

_Other than discussing law and ethics, their relationship even blurs into something of a friendship. Robert tells him about his father who runs the library, his childhood growing up in Manhattan, and his struggle with trying to remain with his Quaker faith that he grew up with. Abe talks about stories of growing up in small town Setauket, his complicated relationship with his father, now a judge, and even the recent debacle with his ex-girlfriends._

 

_Abe starts spending a ridiculous amount of his free time in the library._

 

_“You really know this shit,” Abe says one day, when they’re debating the merit of including a particular affidavit in a fake case his professor has assigned him to research._

 

_Robert, to his surprise, actually looks slightly uncomfortable, and shifts in his seat. “Well, I did write my thesis on intellectual property law.”_

 

_“Thesis- wait, I thought you were a student?” Abe has assumed all this time that he went to University of Setauket, but now he realizes that it was indeed an assumption._

 

_“I was,” Robert says._

 

_Abe levels him a look, and Robert sighs. “I graduated a few years ago. I intended to go to law school, but then my father had his health complications a few months ago, that I told you about, and so my father asked the school to hire me to work here, at my request.”_

 

_Then a thought occurs to Abe. “Hold on- you wouldn’t happen to be R. T. Culper, would you?”_

 

_“That’s the name I published my thesis under,”Robert replies, and Abe actually gasps. “There is another Townsend author popular in the literature, so I use my mother’s maiden name as my professional name.”_

 

_“You- you’re R. T. Culper? We read your thesis in a bunch of my classes.” Abe slaps a hand on the table, and Robert winces. “It’s- you’re brilliant! I mean, I knew you were smart, but I assumed Culper was some old guy who’s been analyzing law forever. Your work on the ethics of legal study is unparalleled, absolutely revolutionary!”_

 

_Robert looks slightly uncomfortable. “Thank you.”_

 

_“After writing that, you decided to stay in Setauket? Seriously, your work could change how our entire legal system is taught,” Abe proclaims, and Robert squirms. It’s an interesting look on him. His heart is thudding._

 

_“That’s certainly an overstatement,” he replies. “The thesis was merely my observations on the ethical practices that I’ve noticed.”_

 

_“Just your observations, you say?” Abe laughs then, and says without thinking, “God, I could marry you.”_

 

_Robert doesn’t reply at once, and Abe backtracks. “I mean, I mean, it’s just so well thought out-”_

 

_“You should probably take me out for coffee first,” Robert says in that falsely bland tone he puts on when he’s dealing with unruly patrons of the library, but there’s a bit of a smile on his face, and Abe realizes that is heart is thudding._

 

_Somewhere along the line, Abe has realized his attraction to the other man. In between their arguments and conversations, he’s realized that the low boiling sensation in his gut when Robert absolutely destroys Abe’s argument, his eyes piercing and his voice always so carefully modulated, is more than professional amazement._

 

_Robert’s smile begins to slip away when Abe doesn’t reply, and he takes a small step back, but then Abe blurts out, “I’d like that. I really, really would,” and Robert’s smile in response, however small, floors Abe._

 

_He’s in deep, but what a way to go._

 

_They go out to coffee the next night, and by the weekend, he’s slept over at Robert’s apartment._

 

_That first night, they didn’t even make it to Robert’s small bedroom at first._

_“You know,” Abe gasps, trying to catch his breath from where he’s lying on the couch, trying to recover from the intense orgasm he’s just had, “I thought you were bland the first time I met you. Very no-nonsense, good boy kind of stuff.”_

 

_Robert kisses the side of his hip again, from where he’s perched between Abe’s legs, his hands rubbing up and down Abe’s thighs. “You thought I was bland?” His tone is amused._

 

_“Not anymore. God, no. I mean, I can’t feel my limbs,” Abe says breathlessly. “You- you are a goddamn, gorgeous gift,” and Robert laughs._

 

_Abe pulls him up for another kiss, then proceeds to wipe that smug look off of his face. It turns out, he can make Robert become incoherent as well._

 

 

 

_•••_

 

 

They walk more, before Abe’s hands start to become cold, and Robert steers them back towards Abe’s dorm. Midway down the path, however, they see two familiar heads coming their way. 

 

“Hey, Robert, Abe,” Anna says, and both Abe and Robert glance down together to see she is in fact holding Mary’s hand. Both women have a light blush over the tops of their cheeks, and Robert smiles, genuinely glad that they seem very happy. 

 

“Good afternoon,” he says. “It’s a lovely day for a walk.” 

 

The two women sneak a glance at each other. “It really is,” Mary replies, and Anna ducks her head, her arm pressed up against the other woman’s. 

 

Abe squeezes Robert’s hand. “Well, we’re actually heading back, but we’ll see you around, all right?” 

 

Mary and Anna both nod, saying bye, and the two couples separate. When they’re out of earshot, Abe tugs at Robert’s arm a bit. “You were right. Oh my god. I’m happy for them though.” 

 

“Me too,” Robert says, and there’s no jealous feeling there. “They both deserve it, after putting up with you.”  


Abe squawks, bumping his shoulder into Robert’s. “You’re the worst,” he complains, but sneaks in a kiss anyways when Robert smirks. “Come on, you’re helping me with this paper. Then I have to pick up something for your dad’s dinner tomorrow.”

 

Robert lets him drag him inside. “He said not to bring anything.” 

 

“Come on, I love Papa Townsend more than you. I’m bringing him something. After all, he had to deal with raising you, right?” 

 

Robert rolls his eyes, and Abe laughs. “You love it though,” he says fondly, and Robert squeezes his hand in response.   


“I do.” 

**Author's Note:**

> [come say hi on tumblr! or let me know what you think lol](www.starrynighttrek.tumblr.com)
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> title from onerepublic & obviously the poetry quoted in this is not mine, so don't sue me, ghosts of romantic poets past


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